Issue #1: 'Unleashed' Now Live on The Secret World Servers

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Funcom has officially launched the first update for The Secret World! Unleashed is #1 of a planned update schedule with which Funcom hopes to bring one major content addition to the table monthly.

This update is free for all players, launching with a free weekend from August 3-4th! Anyone can register and try it out this weekend by heading to official website's front page. This also applies to those with inactive beta accounts!

The first of this series of Issues will contain several investigation missions, nightmare mode for two dungeons, a marketplace feature, and more! Here are the specifics, straight from their press room:

NEW MISSIONS!

Carter Unleashed: An action mission set at the Innsmouth Academy on Solomon Island, where the player gets to know more about the exceptionally gifted student Carter. Exploring the hallway below the academy, Carter will need help controlling her powers - before they get completely out of hand.

Crime and Punishment: Bestselling horror author Sam Krieg came to Solomon Island to write his latest novel - but there's more to it than that. Through this investigation, the player will dig into Krieg's works and the mind of an obsessed fan to learn more about the dark and hidden history of Solomon Island.

Hell & Bach: Daredevil reporter Daniel Bach is working on the story of all stories, his shot at finally winning a Pulitzer. For years, he's been chasing the ghost of Theodore Wicker, only to end up trapped at the Overlook Motel outside Kingsmouth Town. But Wicker's story doesn't end here - nor did it start here. Following the bread crumbs back in time, the player will investigate the mystery of Wicker, and learn more about what brought him to the gates of hell...and beyond.

Funeral Crasher: Eleanor Franklin only has her cats and her ghosts to keep her company at her mansion in Blue Mountain - and now the ghosts are getting restless. When the dead themselves are spooked, the living must pay heed.

The 3rd Age: There have been Ages before ours, and the evidence lies beneath. In Egypt, the sand is thin, and the remnants of past Ages are beginning to spread their influence across the world. The Seven Sentinels hold the key to an investigation that begins in the present, and delves deep into the distant past.

Red Handed: It wasn't chance that brought Dr Varias to this distant part of the Carpathians at this particular point in time. Following in his father's footsteps, Varias is attempting to unravel the mystery of the Red Hand. Why did they build a vast facility beneath this desolate region? What were they doing here? And how was Varias' father involved? In this investigation, we answer some burning questions about this secret Soviet era genetic research project - and how it ties into the events of the present.

NEW NIGHTMARE MODE DUNGEONS!Two dungeons are receiving new Nightmare modes: The Ankh and Hell Fallen. This will give players increased challenges, increased rewards, and a chance to test new builds, new synergies and to put your team to the test against some of the toughest and fiercest challenges in The Secret World.

THE MARKETPLACE!Unleashed also contains the brand new, cross-dimensional Marketplace, allowing players to sell, trade and ship items to other players, no matter where they're playing. The Marketplace will be an integral part of The Secret World's growing economy, giving players more flexibility when it comes to how they equip their characters, and how they procure PAX.

AND MORE!Of course, issue #1 is jam-packed with other updates and changes - and astute players may even notice the ongoing construction in New York, London and Seoul, as new tenants prepare to move in. The Secret World is a LIVING world, and it will keep growing and changing through this issue and all upcoming, monthly issues.

That's it for Issue #1, but Funcom has given some hints as to what's coming next: Dr Aldini is sharpening his scalpels, the Ockham triplets are readying their scissors and razors, and the first auxiliary weapon is being assembled.

To fuel the celebrations this weekend, players will also receive up to 15 fireworks per character and be tasked with a special challenge this weekend: to complete 30 in-game missions to help those in need. A scoreboard will keep track of the top 100 mission-solvers, and those who participate will get a special in-game t-shirt and 1200 bonus points for the in-game store.

The Secret World blends elements of MMO gameplay with alternate reality gaming and social networking in an original setting with contemporary elements.

Imagine if every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend was true. Imagine a world where you can become anything you want to be, without restrictions such as classes or levels. This is the premise for The Secret World, Funcom’s newest massively multiplayer online game set in the modern-day real world.